
Science has managed to resurrect the dire wolf more than 12,500 years after its extinction.
The company Colossal Biosciences has achieved a major scientific breakthrough by successfully breeding three wolf cubs of this extinct animal.
A giant and impressive animal was captured devouring a Pelican
How did they manage to bring the dire wolf back to life?
Time magazine reports that based on clever genetic engineering and ancient, preserved DNA (from fossils between 11,500 and 72,000 years old), Colossal scientists deciphered the dire wolf’s genome, rewrote the common gray wolf’s genetic code to match it and used domestic dogs as surrogate mothers.
This scientific breakthrough saw the birth of Romulus, Remus and their sister Khaleesi, ‘de-extincting’ for the first time a line of animals whose living gene pool disappeared thousands of years ago.
Colossal Biosciences is already working on the de-extinction of more animals such as the mammoth or the Tasmanian tiger
Colossal Biosciences has already announced that in the coming years it intends to resurrect, or ‘de-extinct’, the woolly mammoth, the Tasmanian tiger, the dodo and the thylacine.
We are an evolutionary force at this moment. We are deciding what the future of these species will be
At Colossal, which was founded in 2021 and employs more than 120 scientists, it has already managed to copy mammoth DNA to create a woolly mouse.
“We are an evolutionary force right now. We are deciding what the future of these species will be… We should give ourselves the opportunity to see what our big brains can do to reverse some of the damage we have already done to the world,” explained Beth Shapiro, Colossal’s chief scientific officer, in ‘Time’.
With these advances, genetic engineering could become the tool to prevent planet Earth from losing 30% of its genetic diversity by 2050.
Listen to the first dire wolf howl in over 10,000 years
“Sound on! You’re listening to the first howl of a dire wolf in over 10,000 years. Meet Romulus and Remus, the world’s first de-extinct animals, born on October 1, 2024,” shared Colossal Biosciences.
Colossal Biosciences said that “from the beginning, our goal has been clear: ‘To revolutionize history and be the first company to successfully use CRISPR technology in the de-extinction of previously extinct species’. In doing so, we continue to drive our broader mission: to embrace humanity’s duty to restore the Earth to a healthier state. But this is not just our moment; it is a moment for science, our planet and humanity. All of which we love and are passionate about. Now, close your eyes and listen to that howl once more. Think about what this means for all of us.”
The direwolf became world famous for Game of Thrones: it was the symbol of House Stark
The dire wolf became popular worldwide as the emblem of House Stark in the popular television series Game of Thrones.
George R.R. Martin, author of Game of Thrones, is a cultural advisor to Colossal Biosciences.
Dire wolves, which are 25% larger than gray wolves, lived on the American continent during the Pleistocene between 3.5 and 2.5 million years ago and became extinct at the end of the last glaciation, around 13,000 years ago
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